“ I figured out who killed this girl even before midway through the movie, but thought it still could be worth watching.

“ It's fascinating to see how a tall man like him can be so small and meek.

“ However, despite this films' beautiful scenery and camera work, the overall effect was wasted by one of the most empty stories stuffed with over-acting and pointless symbolism I've ever had the misfortune to be abused by.

“ This movie had me on the edge of the seat and I was convinced that Tim Robbins had killed Sean Penns daughter.

“ Save your money.

“ At other times, it is overblown, overdone, overwritten, overplayed, ham-handed, difficult to buy, contrived and silly.

“ If the viewer wouldn't know about Dave's fate, the story would have been definitely more interesting, not that slow, more thrilling and so on.

“ I'd have felt for them, but the story is so contrived and pointless that it's hard to do so.

“ However, like many others, I find the movie lengthy and slow paced.

“Scripted by Brian Helgeland from the book by Dennis Lehane, 'Mystic River' is a cold, bleak, depressing but ultimately watchable and fascinating film dealing with powerful issues that affect everyday average people.

“ Long, drawn out film with characters I didn't give a crap about .

“ The screenplay by Brian Helgeland is completely flat and lacking in confident handling of the themes and ideas present in Lehane's novel, with Dave Boyle's character reduced to little more than a cliché, and the central theme of the character reduced to two or three unbelievably predictable scenes.

“ Very tedious treatment of a decent book.

“ The complex interweaving of the characters as we delve deeper and deeper into their psyches is both riveting and chilling at the same time.

“ A smarmy cliche ending doesn't help either, and the relationship Bacon has with his ex seems only there just so the director can force some sympathy on his character it is WAY too obvious.

“ All I can say is that it's a pretty intense ride.

“ Just cold, plodding, and unfulfilling, and it has a twist ending that is more than a little ridiculous.

“ Unfortunately, concerning the "murder mystery" aspect it was disappointingly predictable from the outset that Dave was not responsible for Jimmy's daughter's death- thus, for me at least, ruling out the much talked about "twist" that he did not in fact commit the murder.

“All of the performances are riveting and each deserves high praise.

“But there were many aspects which seemed pointless to me.

“ Gripping Intense Drama spoilt by ending .

“ Many of the lines are tedious and cliché', and others are almost nonsensical and stupid.

“ It was well acted as you would expect from the level of talent in the film but wow what a boring movie!

“ Because it's VERY quiet, VERY slow and VERY long--too long.

“ Pretentious melodrama .

“ Rather dull than convincing .

“ However, the film experiences one coincidence after the other, manipulating its audiences rather heavy-handedly toward a rather predictable climax, and vague resolution.

“ Powerfully Compelling Film .

“ Clint Eastwood's brings this thrilling adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel to life and does a remarkable job recreating the events featured in the novel.

“ Movie has good characters and movie's end was also shocking and thrilling, after finding out the suspects i didn't believe of that these guys could be suspects.

“ There are scenes in this movie you won't forget due to several factors: the suspense that almost every scene is electrically charged with, the gripping storyline, the exceptional acting performances, and the brutal immediateness with which every scene hits you all work together to make 'Mystic River' a modern masterpiece of drama cinema.

“The whole affair is suitably gripping, well acted and commendably free from sentimentality.

“ Despite the number of somewhat contrived connections among the characters, this was still a realistic drama about real people in a credible situation.

“ It is engaging the whole way through and it generally focuses on the emotions of the characters and situations rather than technical plot developments and exposition.

“ The story line was great, the plot twists were incredible, and "Mystic River" was the most thrilling movie I've seen in a long time.

“ The movie was stunning, and the ending was even better.

“ This is a Film for those who like slow brooding thrillers with complex characters.

“ Mystic River kept me on the edge of my seat, and I give it 9/10.

“To watch "Mystic River" is like to find oneself on the edge of a forest and to disappear into it.

“ Contrived trash .

“ Word of the day folks: contrived, contrived, contrived.

“ This is a stunning, deeply involving film with tragic depth and great emotional power.

“ I was on the edge of my seat.

“Anyone who enjoys suspenseful, mysterious movies should watch this one.

“ Clint Eastwood's films have always been slowly paced but are usually absorbing in a very satisfactory manner if you allow yourself to watch his films to the very end.

“ So, from a writing perspective, the movie certainly had all of the ingredients for a gripping crime drama.

“just great actors and a riveting story.

“The dynamic cast is what makes "Mystic River" so engaging to watch and is a must-see for those who admire murder mysteries and the pivotal events that transpire along as the two detectives search for Katie's murderer.

“ An intense film founded on the slow character and plot development of the Dennis Lehane novel of the same name, Clint Eastwood and the cast convey an emotional depth rarely seen in cinema.

“ One good thing--it's a sure cure for insomnia.

“ The combination of A-list actors and director and well as a compelling plot, makes this movie a MUST see.

“ Unpleasant and boring .

“ Eastwood has taken his lifelong "you can't win", sour, nihilistic vision of life to ludicrous extremes in this contrived melodrama.

“ How this film can be dragged out with such little content for such a long time is beyond me.

“*** SPOILERS WARNING *** Sean Penn's daughter, on the night she is going to elope to Las Vegas with her boyfriend, runs into her boyfriend's younger brother and pal late at night on a dark, empty street who in turn accidentally shoot her then feel they have to kill her so she won't tell anyone.

“ I have always found Clint Eastwood a largely dull screen presence.

“ Pretentious .

“As someone who moved to Boston in the late 1990s and experienced first-hand the rise of real estate costs and the slow process of gentrification, I find the characterization of the insular community of Charlestown, a working-class, white, Irish town just north of Boston, to be dead-on.

“ After Sean Penn's daughter is killed, the police investigation coincides with Penn's vengeful path, culminating in a scene along the waterfront with Tim Robbins that was so predictable (and so belabored by the director, Clint Eastwood) that I had to fast-forward through it.

“ At once riveting, disturbing, and profoundly moving, it draws you into its web of friendships, family connections and relationships in a working class neighborhood of Boston.

“ But GOOD LORD WAS IT SLOW!

“ Mystic River is slow and clunky to say the least - it moves with grandeur but at a snail's pace and really only delivers in the acting department.

“ Taut, suspenseful, and emotional, it's a wonderful start to the much-anticipated fall season of potential award-winning films.

“ The solution to the murder mystery is both implausible and contrived.

“ The story of three childhood friends (Penn, Robbins, Bacon) torn apart as adults after one of them is abducted is intriguing.

“This movie is super emotional, as I highlighted, very intense.

“Methodical, riveting and emotionally charged; it's a story of lost innocence and a reminder that the past cannot easily be suppressed or forgotten.

“Like all Clint Eastwood movies it delivers in the following key areas: The pace is slower than slow, the characters' actions are illogical, it's filled with unrealistic and ridiculous dialogue and the story often has no idea where it's going.

“ If you like an impacting, powerful, gripping story, go hire something else.

“ Robbins with his uncertain, slow speech, slow reactions whenever someone talks to him has to be the boy who suffered.

“ good acting, intense story although the ending for me was kinda disappointingall the famous actors brought the story to a higher level....

“ great acting, predictable plot .

“ The directing of the scene with suddenly joining a parade, while we are left with questions and emotions of injustice, was unbearable.

“ A real tough and phenomenally intense movie to watch!

“ And the pacing is very slow.

“ I found Penn's performance utterly forgettable and repetitive.

“ It's dated, but engaging, and benefits from great performances from Tim Robbins and Sean Penn.

“ Based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, `Mystic River' tells a story that is so riveting that the audience cannot pull themselves away from it.

“ It will bore you, and perhaps p*** you off for wasting your time and money.

“ Wonderful and exciting!

“ In a sense this gives Eastwood a chance to explore similar territory he did in Unforgiven, and overall it's just as compelling (though in a different genre).

“ okay, a little boring .

“ A mundane drivel of pseudo-sappy dialog capped off with a trite and meaningless climax and follow-through, viva life...

“ Boredom unto Death .

“ are enjoyable to watch, & I'm sure the effort here was sincere, but the movie went on way too long after the case was solved, & it looks as if creating a "work of art" took precedence over making a coherent movie, which along with a score by Eastwood was a 3d-rate film version of Albinoni's Adagio, sometimes called the most depressing piece of music ever.

“ Pendulum of Brooding thrilling suspense & heightened tension as film is progressing towards climax is just rock solid with awesome performances of Sean Penn & Tim Robbins & both of them got academy trophies for that.

“Robbins is the most fascinating of the three.

“This movie is very slow, very uneventful, and very predictable.

“Perhaps because it tried to do two things -- flesh out an intriguing mystery on the skeleton framework of family dynamics (or vice versa, it's hard to tell which should be considered the frame and which the flesh).

“ The reflections of three anonymous men catch our eye, the shimmering and disjointed figures making themselves apparent in the water as we realise, half way through the film, that the notion of looking at one's self; looking into one's self; realising that one is the way one is and must negotiate it is prominent.

“ One of those rare and beautiful occurrences where a film turns out to be just as riveting as the book it's based on.

“I just finished watching mystic River and At first it was kind of boring and slow moving.

“ Why does Katie want to leave to Las Vegas to commence a new life?

“ That perhaps was the biggest waste of 2 hours of my life.

“ For instance, when you find out about one of the culprits in particular it all comes together, as he bore a resemblance to Dave, and by coincidence or not ended up being the bearer of penance to Jimmy for all his sins.

“ All I am saying is this, a bleak, realistic Boston drama like this would benefit best for realistic plot elements, rather than the contrived the film seems to negotiate for.

“Save your money.

“ What takes place next is a course of events that's both intriguing in its mystery and exciting in its action.

“ Kevin Bacon's state trooper detective is as taut as this body, unfortunately having to put up with the script silliness of his ex-wife's mute calls at unpredictable hours, Eastwood and novelist Dennis Lehane's attempt to parallel in a subplot the loss inherent in the major action.

“ Excellent cure for insomnia is more like it.

“ The film proceeds in a very monotone way, in that the film does not change pace at any point, and that in itself makes it quite boring.

“ Save your money.

“ Everything here has an explanation, in each case a repetitive bludgeon of "sense.

“ Clint Eastwood's direction is evocative and lucid.

“ The main problem with this movie is Eastwood's direction, which is really very bland.

“ *** WARNING: THIS TEXT -MAY- CONTAIN SPOILERS ***When I went to see "Mystic River", I had this notion that it was going to be a BORING experience.

“ When I saw the previews of the movie, I was quite sure that it was going to be worth watching, however it developed quite slowly and how the things turn out in the end of the movie was beyond strange and unexpected: it was a bad ending.

“ What makes this fit my `worth watching' category is the way we can see the battle royale for control over how images work in our imagination.

“This is a dark murder mystery that has nothing to it that makes you feel good, be prepared to be depressed when you leave the theater.

“ Very pessimistic and anti-hollywood film that uses the typical themes of abuse,loss in the family and vengeance and mix them into a new, intense movie quality with deep and captivating performances.

“ More than anything, the performances of all involved is what makes this movie extremely riveting.

“ It's got a thick feeling of depression and drab misery to it which permeates, and while this is something I'd call a virtue to this particular story I'd also have to say it lingers too long.

“ The film thankfully moves at a decent pace, keeping it from being as boring as reading Helgeland's script surely would be.

“ This movie is quite simply the best Eaastwood has done since Unforgiven, it is compelling and at times quite disturbing.

“ The thing that separates this movie from a boring cop drama is the directing.

“ Again I thoroughly enjoyed it.

“ Extremely predictable from the beginning, it makes it hard to stay tuned until you get to a point where you really want it to end.

“ Eastwood has crafted a film filled with intrigue for its troubled characters and for its absorbing story.

“ The resolution is as devoid of significance or meaning as the film's pretentious title.

“ It was gripping, real, gritty, sad, and just one of the best stories I've ever read.

“ Seems like everything Clint Eastwood chooses to do turns out dull and routine.

“ it is unpredictable at times.

“ Starting with the sexual abuse of an innocent child, which strengthens the old cliché, "only the strong shall survive".

“It is worth watching because it crisply illustrates a great dialog and linkage in film art, that one between director and actor.

“" crime but even though trying to solve the crime is still exciting here, that's not exactly the whole point.

“ The fact is that this movie is just slow and unappealing.. it just drags on pointlessly and you would not feel like watching it again.

“ Well, this film certainly has both and it's clever exciting edge clearly displays this fact.

“ Jimmy's wife's speech is confusing in it's intent, Sean's reaction (both the happy conversation and `finger gun' gesture) is inexplicable  the ending seems to wipe clean the lives of these two characters, although the regret and loss of Dave's wife is shattering in how it is portrayed.

“ To see potent acting like this is invigorating and breathtaking.

“ Also, pointless to have Sean's character periodically speaking to his wife over the phone.

“ Gripping, poignant drama with shades of American tragedy, leisure and detailed pacing from director Eastwood that allows his actors to shine.

“ This movie is just dull.

“ Besides of all those positives of the movie, there were barely any negatives, but I had one and I had to say that the movie got pretty slow at times.

“ Clint Eastwood delivers a intense thriller.

“ The movie left too many confusing personalities to figure out.

“ truly intense and anti-hollywood movie of the year .

“ (It is not unlike that last long, ponderous sentence I wrote.

“ Some people seem to have found the movie "slow.

“It did suffer, however, from being a bit predictable and a bit too long.

“ And there are times when the relentless rhythm of the movie begins to falter and merely seem slow.

“ That said, the story remains absorbing and thereare some fine performances from the leads.

“I left the theater amazed at such a great film.

“ Mystic Chilling, So Intense .

“ Sean (Kevin Bacon) is a homicide detective experiencing personal problems with his pregnant wife who has walked out on him.

“What I find totally implausible, however, are the numerous contrived coincidences needed to prop up the story- otherwise it falls over like a house of cards.

“ Then we find he had a brother who does sign language who seemed like he didnt't want his brother to leave.

“ The mood of the movie is very dark, suspenseful, and chilling.

“ The movie is horribly contrived.

“ Bit like Prisoners (another favourite of mine) it's a slow build up and you get to understand their worlds.

“ Clint Eastwood's powerful comeback as director, continuing one of American cinema's most extensive and most intriguing observations of masculinity, Mystic River is a gloomy, foreboding scowl about a present-day crime internally connected to a past crime.

“ If you really want to see it, please save your money and wait for video.

“ Eastwood has taken a script based on a novel by Dennis Lehane and crafted it into an intense tale of trauma and retribution.

“ The general look of the film is a bit uninspiring.

“ The shots of his missing wife showing only part of her face at a pay phone seem pointless teases.

“ He is touching in conveying a man struggling under a virtually unbearable burden of guilt and memory.

“ This movie is like three different stories spliced with cheesy, unrealistic, empty dreams.

“I'm writing this because here we have an intriguing story, a great director, one of the best casts ever assembled, excellent editing and photography .

“ If plays like an incoherent and weak episode of Law and Order and culminates in an absolute pea-soup fog of cliché and absurdity.

“ Absorbing adaptation of Dennis Lehane's novel about three childhood friends (Penn, Robbins and Bacon, all giving career high performances) reunited by the tragic killing of Penn's eldest daughter set in the gritty Boston surroundings that culminates with a shared past involving the abduction and molestation of Robbins' character  and ultimately the prime suspect of the murder investigation conducted by Bacon's homicide cop.

“ each time i heard that music i was in disbelief that it was being paired to supposedly intense scenes, wondering who could possibly believe that it supports the emotions trying to be evoked on-screen.

“ At times the movie is slow, and perhaps a bit too long.

“ Yea, a little;the same subject matter but also very compelling and more detailed.

“ You wont want to leave your seat and miss a moment!

“ A complete mess--don't waste your time or money .

“ He was afforded many accolades and much buzz, and I actually firmly believe that while his win was predictable, it was also very deserved.

“ To sum up it was a nice picture that dropped its performance finally due to the boring ending of the story it was based on.

“ Simply stunning .

“" Eventually the "mystery" gets resolved, but the "real" climax involves Penn's vigilante quest for his daughter's killer & even that is pretty predictable once Penn gets the notion Robbins is the killer.

“ Like the rare talented novelist, Clint Eastwood (director) reveals to us his insight into the minds of his characters, each as intriguing and complex as the other.

“ Trust Clint Eastwood: he has an encyclopedic knowledge of movies and a poetic view on life that is plunged with a fascinating impact.

“ It was a suburb movie that was riveting the entire way, keeping you on your toes with who the killer is, and what is going to happen in the end.

“ I have seen most movies of Clint Eastwood and this is one of the worst movies he ever made.

“ I haven't looked at others' posts but for me, the POV shot of the car pulling away down the street with the young Tim Robins character looking out the back window just completely blew a heretofore enjoyable film.

“ The film works as a straight-up detective story, and the acting is often breathtaking.

“There were many aspects which seemed pointless.

“What a waste of time.

“ But a gripping story of childhood bonds gone bad, murder, the frailty of human certainty and belief in flawed values  all wonderful elements that should offer a filmmaker so much  are stymied by flimsy resolutions and ultimately unlovable characters.

“ I have not read the book and can only hope that it is much better because the movie is tiresome and lacks substance.

“ And I'm getting allergic to closeups with slow zooms, here designed to let Penn show his chops.

“ The Sean Penn/Laura Linney scene in the bedroom at the end is bizarre and emotionally confusing.

“ The use of grey, dampened and humid spaces give the film a melancholic yet surreal atmosphere, where the real story is somewhat violent but incredibly intense and heartbreaking.

“ But instead I found myself more and more immersed into the crime mystery side of the story.

“ The other two characters feel to be very contrived, almost as if they are being pulled into the plot against their will.

“ Good acting, especially by the forementioned Savage brothers, but there was no story in which to act.

“it's much more engaging and the characters are far more interesting.

“This movie is great, it shows exactly how unpredictable and messy the human mind might be.

“ Cliché-ridden, ham-fisted, coma-inducing waste of time!!.

“ Dull.

“ Although it was effective, the score was too repetitive and simple.

“ Instead, we are merely left with a did-he-do-it or did-he-not-do-it mystery, which lasts way too long for the little amount of suspense it carries.

“ So when putting these two great writers together you are guaranteed an intriguing story with rich characters, which is one of the reasons why I love Mystic River.

“ All star cast, riveting and suspenseful.

“ I say deceptive because looking at the ending is confusing.

“Plot was good but progress was quite slow.

“ straight plot twisted in the climax and confusion in the end .

“ He's very bland for the entirety of the movie.

“ Circumstantial evidence is built up through the film pointing to the distinct possibility that the Eastwood character himself may be the actual murderer, making for some intriguing possibilities.

“ It's completely bland.

“The film is unpredictable throughout and slowly paced, taking its time to get to grips with the storyline instead of rushing through the plot.

“ is there anything worse than a movie that pretends to be deep and meaningful, but that is superficial and predictable?

“ it's dull and unclear.

“ What a waste of time!

“ It was a thrilling tale of three friends, one who is emotionally scarred.

“ Tim Robbins is also stunning.

“ Could anything have been more predictable and heavy-handed?

“ Riveting film about real people in a real town .

“ One more thought provoking and intense film to Eastwood's credentials.

“ The story is absorbing.

“ Is ALL of the violence in this movie portrayed as completely pointless and unfair?

“ But nothing happened.

“ Human beings are, above all else, unpredictable.

“ I was, however, thoroughly disappointed by the underdeveloped female characters (particularly Laura Linney's) the overdone yet empty Christian imagery, and the at times cheesy directing.

“ He is excellent in both emotional and the intense climax scenes.

“ Nearly every scene was dragged out way to long and half way through the film I didn't care about any of the characters, which is bad considering the film is essentially a character study.

“ This movie is good enough to keep your attention through the whole thing, but ultimately I found it boring and unsatisfying.

“ Most of the settings - indoor and out - are evocative, accurate and even mystical.

“ I left the theater feeling a little happy, a little sad and a little more knowledgeable about the role emotions can play if you let them.

“ The movie gets the sense of a place and the feel of compelling characters.

“ This movie was boring and predictable!

“ What I did feel was confusion and anger.

“ It's got plenty of character and emotion to drive the story, making it all the more compelling.

“ Overall I found this movie dark, gripping and intense.

“ Clint's impeccable style includes some marvellous touches such as the quiet, but ever-present sound of wind which adds to the chilling and eerily suspenseful atmosphere and several helicopter shots (his trademark) of the Mystic River at night.

“ I came in expecting some kind of transcendent cinematic experience (like chinatown, the godfather, or on a lesser scale, unforgiven) but instead sat through 137 minutes of blue collar east coast cliches, improbable plot twists, and juvenile lines utttered by throwaway characters capped off by a totally predictable ending.

“ I left the theater feeling a little happy, a little sad and a little more knowledgeable about the role emotions can play if you let them.

“ While Robbins at times seems a little contrived, the audience doesn't know whether to sympathize or fear this man that has a continual pile of evidence overshadowing any semblance of innocence he has left.

“ But in the hands of director Clint Eastwood it becomes a fiercely intense experience driven by complex emotional twists.

“ I also thought Fishburne's dialogue was cliche-ridden and predictable.

“ Riveting!

“ The fatalism of the story must have appealed to Eastwood's sensibility, but also its rootedness in the mundane world of working class Boston.

“ The real meat of the film lies in the deeply emotional (and personal) performances of Sean Penn, as Markum, and Tim Robbins, as Boyle (both men won Oscars for their gripping work).

“ In contrast to many modern melodramas, the human drama here is formed using those words and characters, rather than music, editing, and cliche forlorn looks.

“ The acting is dull, lifeless.

“I have two grudges with this film: Firstly, it's somewhat slow.

“ The only fun in this plodding production is trying to figure out who gives the worst performance.

“ just a tedious and a dreary affair that I couldn't wait to see end .

“ In short, it was a poorly acted and directed movie with a predictable plot and unbelievable characters.

“ They go around as if nothing happened fooling everyone.

“ This is one of the worst movies I've seen this year, and that's coming from a fan of the cast and most of Eastwood's directorial work.

“ Laura Linney and Marcia Gay Harden also have some intense dramatic scenes.

“ The utterly compelling story unfolds at a measured pace, from its unexpectedly terrifying prologue right up until the carefully-constructed ending.

“ The screenplay is often clunky - those plodding cop scenes between Bacon and Fishburne are almost insulting, the tough-guy conversations between Penn and his henchmen are cliche-ridden, and the whole final section - events in and around the parade - redundant.

“ but there are numerous problems with this film, some of them serious enough to leave me fuming as I left the theater.

“Terrible story, boring acting, unbelievable stereotyped characters, it crawls at a snails pace, the ending is as anti-climactic as it comes, and worst of all - no moral to the story.

“ Subtly written with an astounding attention to detail in dialect, speech mannerisms, and dialog, the same realism so apparent in the performances pervades the entire production to superb and engrossing effect.

“ Taut, suspenseful, and emotional, it's a wonderful start to the much-anticipated fall season of potential award-winning films.

“ Pointless .

“ The movie unfolds in the slow, solemn, methodical, sometimes flat Clint Eastwood directorial style that for the most part works compellingly here because of the story's inherently tragic overtones and because the excellent cast acts with powerful understatement.

“ A very irresponsible film - and boring in many scenes.

“ The story was EXTREMELY contrived.

“ With shallow, unmotivated, undeveloped, characters and a contrived, predicatable, pointless, plot I found it difficult to not walk out of the film.

“ Kevin Bacon looks compelling too.

“ The most predictable part of the movie was when Jimmy got word that Dave might be the killer, and the saddest part was when Celeste told Jimmy she thought Dave was the culprit.

“ It has a cool twist ending and an exciting plot.

“ Engaging Movie That'll Leave You Stunned .

“I highly recommend it

“ A classic slow burn.

“ Within this paradox Eastwood creates an number of breathtaking moments that show how "old school" film-making still tops every trickery of the "New Hollywood".

“I should have known this after seeing Unforgiven, cause it was the exact same feeling I had when I walked out of that picture.

“ In fact, I am generally uninterested in Clint Eastwood movies, his roles are usually boring and unimaginative, and I was never much of a believer in his skills as a director.

“ The end of a movie to me describes the intentions of the director which in this case is to make you contemplate humanity instead of be entertaining.

“ It's an OK film but it's way too long.

“ I read the review by Roger Ebert, who I usually respect, and he gave this yawner 4 stars!

“ What a waste of my time and money!

“ In my case, a crime thriller has to be truly brilliant to merit attention, but for those who naturally appreciate the genre and don't mind overlooking a few flaws, it is worth watching.

“ The story is engaging and most every actor manages to portray compelling characters.

“ I really think that audiences would and will grow on this film because it is just so unpredictable.

“ Once again our beloved media have championed a film that is bland, bland, bland.

“ Save your money .

“ Trite, nonsensical garbage.

“ This screenplay develops lots of intersting themes: the transmission of evil through the links of blood and friendship, the way violence and the desire for revenge is reproducing eternally, the observation of small towns, their rumours, their boredom.

“ How the confusion,mental instability ,lying of one character changes his fate and how his wife takes him as someone else .

“ Worth seeing for the beautiful Boston settings and the acting--but it's very slow and pretentious too.

“ Driven to review this contrived and circumstantial drivel.. .

“This is the same tripe that Hollywood loves to make - predictable plots, stereotyped characters, supposedly universal themes of family, life and death, and finally, uninspired directing that gets attention purely out of star power.

“The reality for the pathetic murder mystery turns out to be so pointless and unbelievable, that all potential dramatic irony gets flushed down the toilet.

“ Boring River .

“" sounds like a cliche.

“ Exciting, entertaining and the performances are oscar worthy.

“ Plainly dark and entertaining .

“ However, some scenes were a little slow and predictable in parts.

“ Instead it moved into this surreal parade scene that, I'm sure made sense in the book, but was confusing at best on screen.

“ It took me a good half an hour to pick up on the fact that his character was supposed to be a bit 'slow' and there were no subtleties in his physical stance to indicate this.

“ He plays a much more troubled character in the movie, and he's both the most compelling character and the most compelling actor.

“ It's a meaningless and pointless story.

“ Clint Eastwood is a skilled storyteller who will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“ I cannot say in which way the ending could be better, but I can say for sure that if the first 2/3 of the movie should be rated above 8, the final third was brought out from some mediocre ordinary thriller movie that you are bored to watch.

“ A riveting actor's tour de force .

“and his story about attacking a mugger seems contrived.

“ If you just won an award for looking doe-eyed, walking around slow, and talking like the Mayor in The Simpsons, then good for you.

“ Monotone .

“ Confusion is the last parade scene.

“ I think it suffers from some dreary/stodgy direction by Eastwood and the screenwriter is trying to fit too much of Dennis Lehane's novel into the movie.

“I liked the plot of the movie; it kept me on the edge of my seat.

“ This movie is soooo slooow and soooo boring I could hardly stay awake.

“ The movie has too much unnecessary dialogue, The Mrs. Devine subplot is utterly pointless, the film lacks a strong female character, and the strong male characters are too strong.

“ Their environment is drab.

“ Clint Eastwood indicates that he's much more than a cliché Western actor in his direction of "Mystic River", through the immense skill he exuberates while weaving a poignant and emotional tale of personal redemption, greed, love and the brutal loss of innocence that so consistently plagues society.

“ Performances by Penn, Robbins, and Harden are stunning.

“ It's a riveting and tense thriller, it's one of the best films of year and of course I went and ruined it for myself by figuring out the outcome about an hour before the movie ended.

“ He's a slow, backward, Mr Average character, with the great accent I loved, who at some moments, almost sounded like Dustin Hoffman.

“Summing up: A fascinating and distinguished piece of filmmaking despite this obvious flaw in the plot's outcome.

“ However, the acting is dragged down by an uninspired and formulaic script.

“Lastly, the reason the two boys killed Katie was boring and anticlimactic.

“ However this good visual work is often undermined by a poorly used and highly repetitive soundtrack.

“ It was also far too long.

“ Both Penn and Robbins generate desperate and stunning tension as they are interrogated by the police.

“ This film plays like your classic formulaic, book adaptation.

“ The movie tries to tell too much of everybody's past -- good writing could have shortened the movie by a solid 45 minutes and made it even more gripping.

“Mystic River is a deeper, slower and more moving one than its placing within the thriller genre suggests.

“ Overall, the movie ends up feeling like a pointless exercise, the theme of "sins washed away in the river" is kind of inane, and someone PLEASE tell me what in the world we were supposed to make of Sean (Kevin Bacon)'s wife calling him all the time?

“Let me start with a few strong points: It is a slow paced movie, technically low-key, no fireworks, no explosions, no cool one-liners, no car chases, no showdowns, no CGI, no gadgetry.

“ Disjointed Mystic River disappoints .

“ It has a great cast with Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, and Tim Robbins and these guys know how to make a film worth watching.

“ Their characters are setup from the outset: Jimmy is an adventurous kid with a love to live life on the edge; it is his brilliant idea to take a car for a spin around the block in their Boston community.

“Of course, the storyline is really driven by this point: the past events can influence the future in ways we cannot even imagine and guilt and a desire for justice can lead to strange and unexpected paths.

“ While living a mundane, outwardly normal life, he carries the shadow deep inside him.

“In a nutshell: "Mystic River" is a dark, disturbing, entertaining, thought-provoking film that you should definitely check out.

“ The demise of a movie that tells a gripping dramatic tale with the set-up for a perfect twist ending, and it then reveals an unbelievable and empty conclusion.

“For a basic plot summary, "Mystic River" tells the story of three childhood friends now grown up but still intertwined with each other:-Jimmy Markum (Sean Penn): The intense, mob-dealer type who's daughter is murdered and provides the investigative basis for the film.

“ This is a slow, dark, quiet, and morally ambiguous murder mystery directed by a beloved veteran (Eastwood) who really hasn't directed anything of substance in nearly a decade that serves as an acting showcase for some of Hollywood's finest performers.

“ Agreed, its a well written book , but its the genius of Clint Eastwood which makes the adaptation so incredibly engrossing and emotionally charged .

“What I think makes me dislike the film is that the story's moral and ethical grounds are very confusing.

“ So many movies try to impress us with cool CGI, mind boggling plot twists, and over done camera tricks.

“ It makes me sick that every year there is at least one of these trite pretentious "borathons" that fools every knucklehead in the world and gets every possible award thrown at it.

“ Most of the settings - indoor and out - are evocative, accurate and even mystical.

“ The thing which is to be learned from the film is building up the tension slowly and nicely and gripping the state of mind slowly.

“ In fact, the story is well told, hard hitting, fast paced and clever.

“'Mystic River' is depressing but extremely engaging as well.

“ The way the story is presented is intriguing and often a little unsettling.

“ But, then again it's a bit slow and everything is very clear from the beginning and even when you think is not, you'd reach to the exact conclusion as the story line.

“ All three actors make their roles their own -- Sean Penn is quietly intense and devastated, Tim Robbins is the ultimate broken man through circumstances not of his control who still relives his own tragedy every day, and Kevin Bacon plays a stoic detective who also has some relationship issues of his own.

“ On the other hand,it was a bit predictable about Dave not being the killer,anyhow they managed to keep the suspense about the real one.

“ As someone else said, I kept waiting for something intriguing to happen, to give real meaning to the film and pull the disparate threads together.

“ Eastwood's directorial style I found to be drab and the story itself highly unoriginal.

“ This entire feature was just a tedious and a dreary affair that I couldn't wait to see end

“ The plotting, particularly towards the end, often feels more contrived than it needs to be, with heavy-handed ironies and obtruding parallelisms that don't seem to know when to leave well enough alone.

“ Clearly a well-crafted and well-acted movie, but I left the theater wondering why anyone had bothered to make it in the first place.

“ It was far from predictable or clichéd and explored some very interesting and intense ideas and emotions.

“ They'll craft an overblown, self-indulgent, and absolutely crass piece of work like `Mystic River,' and immediately the critics will outdo each other with praise filled with enough high-sounding adjectives to generate a thesaurus of their own.

“ This intense drama about the investigation of the murder of a young woman will give you a ride on the emotion spectrum with the same intensity as in a roller-coaster.

“ Yawn...

“Where the movie trumps -up is in the trite exchange between characters, particularly in scenes involving a murder investigation and conversations between a distraught husband and wife.

“ I found this movie completely dull.

“ There is confusion about whose blood was found in a certain place which would have been solved easily by DNA examination.

“ I love slow movies that build, particularly if the writing and direction are sharp and the acting propelling the movie along.

“"Mystic River" is not something that can be casually watched; it's a deep drama with three-dimensional characters, potently exploring several intriguing issues: How abuses of the past affect the present; the danger of hiding recesses of your psyche; the folly of not getting spiritual help for deep-rooted psychological concerns; disloyalty/loyalty; doing the wrong thing for the right reasons; jumping to wrong conclusions based on dubious info; houses divided cannot stand; the importance of encouraging one's spouse for the sake of familial health & survival; "king of the castle"; etc.The film runs 2 hours, 18 minutes and was shot in Boston.

“ Ho Hum .

“ Clint Eastwood directs an excellent cast in a very gripping movie.

“ A empty hope and images of a future who must be very different because the expectations are others.

“ Which is a great tragedy, and had it happened 62 minutes into the film I might have enjoyed the drama that could unfold following such a horrific moment in Jimmy's personal life and the effect his mistake would have on the relatively interwoven community, but instead we're treated to yet another contrived suspense thriller where the wrong guy gets it just as the real bad guy is unmasked.

“ The plot is full of twists and turns and is on par with such classics as The usual suspects for the gripping suspense that drives you mad with the guess work you undertake watching the film trying to foresee the conclusion of the film before you reach it.

“If you recall Clint Eastwood's 1999 'True Crime', Eastwood plays a self-indulgent reporter who follows a string of clues of an old murder investigation, and is able to save the condemned man in the nick of time.

“ Such is the stuff of true compelling mystery.

“ The pain of it all comes through so clearly in this superb psycho drama which is so absorbing and repulsive at the same time.

“ Instead, I got cinema ho-hum.

“Dull movie, 5/10 at a max.

“ I've read many of the other comments on it, and they're all true to some extent, but what a lot of them seem to be missing is the fact that humans *do* behave like that in real life, they *are* as unpredictable as some seem to be in this movie, they *are* as annoying and rotten inside, or as stupid and disappointing as they are.

“ At times, the dialogue is bland, and the initially dynamic characters regress into hackneyed caricatures.

“ Although Mystic River (and I have yet to understand the significance of that title) is partly a straightforward and very good mystery thriller as Bacon and his partner (Laurence Fishbourne) set about solving the murder, coming across wholly unexpected evidence.

“ Be prepared for some unexpected turns, and even if you do predict the ending, you'll still be thinking about for months.

“ Mr. Tim Robbins has a fascinating character that he took by the horns and lead it right where it needed to go, onto the stage of the academy awards to receive an Oscar for best supporting actor.

“ The flick takes deep breaths and flows along very slowly, maybe to slow for some viewers but the tightly knit atmosphere and the fine performances by this outstanding cast make sure that even when everything comes to a standstill and the camera focuses on one individual, nothing is out of place or boring.

“ big time actors in compelling murky mystery .

“ Yawn .

“ In the thrilling parallel narrative climax you become so involved, as you urge Robbins to somehow convince Sean Penn's Jimmy that he did not do it, that when the gunshot hits home, and that flash of light explodes onto screen, it is literally like snapping suddenly out of a nightmare.

“ There is a lot of detective work that goes on in this and everything is so engaging with some amazing acting to the point you start to sort of feel for the characters.

“ It was dull dreary none of the characters were likable, and it could have ended several times before it FINALLY did.

“ This movie is slow and dull.

“ Compelling Drama .

“ I felt it was pointless in the end.

“ Jimmy (Sean Penn), hair streaked gray and skin prison-weathered, is now the owner of a corner store, a longtime widower of a woman who bore him one daughter, Katie (Emily Rossum), then promptly died of cancer before she could see her husband free from a liquor store robbery rap.

“ Once you look past its artifice, the painfully contrived storyline, the inflated sense of importance, and the pretense of depth come into plain view.

“ YAWN!

“ There are several scenes that are so riveting, the death of Sean Penn's daughter at the top of the list.

“Eastwood's films are often pervaded by slowness and this one is no exception, at over 2 hours it was way over the mark and could have clocked in at under 1hr 40 mins if all the crap had been cut out from it.

“ What makes Mystic River a great film is how it gradually digs deeper into the story revealing bits and pieces of information to finally surprise the audience with a dramatic, unexpected and a great finally.

“ Clint Eastwood directed this highly-engaging tale about three childhood friends that share a traumatic past, who are brought back together for different reasons after a young woman's murder.

“ During the main plot, captivating smaller stories are being dug up during Bacon's police investigation, all of the them connects somehow towards the breathtaking end of the flick.

“The story was quite good, but it focused way too much on the investigators, without going much into depth of Sean's life, the real killers were barely doing anything during the movie and that made it quite dull, when it was found out that those two little boys committed the crime.

“ I still find it fascinating that two of the best director's of our time, Clint Eastwood and Micheal Mann can be the exact antithisis of each other in the way they run their sets and work with the people who are working for them.

“He is supported by Tim Robbins as his boyhood chum Dave Boyle, a man tottering on the edge of sanity, a man haunted by a childhood abduction by pedophiles, one of whom flashes a priest's ring.

“ Sure, it tries to hit some emotional issues, and does some of that well, but far too much of the movie is uninteresting, uninspired and weak.

“ All told, the two-and-a-quarter hour movie is a very enjoyable cinematic experiences mainly because of well-balanced, all round good acting.

“ This dragged on after a while and I think the end would have been better if the movie was 20 minutes shorter.

“ It's incredible to me that anyone would enjoy this boring mess of a film.

“ And then there's the confusing "gotcha" gun hand signal by Devine to Jimmy that I can't figure out.

“Where the movie aroused different expectations for me was just how intense and well-structured the actual mystery is.

“ One has just to listen to a few notes to feel an intense emotion inside us.

“ A slow-burning, semi-intelligent and extremely traditional thriller about three childhood friends reunited as adults through a murder.

“ My husband and I kept yawning and glancing at our watches.

“ I would highly recommend it.

“ Much like the horrible 'Runaway Jury', I felt my intelligence insulted, and wanted very much to leave before the end and forget the torrid experience of having seen the movie.

“ They delivered stunning performances, especially Tim Robbins.

“ When you finally find out who murdered Jimmy's daughter (after a grueling 2 hours and 15 minutes), it's contrived, convoluted and laughable.

“ Mystic River is a million miles from Dirty Harry or Unforgiven - this is slow and thoughtful fare that offers little in the way of audience satisfaction.

“ Slow drama with a non sensible ending .

“ Clint Eastwood directs so there is a predictable "vigilante wins" theme to the story.

“ Both Oscar winners are tremendous and I felt Penn gave a thoughtful, intense performance similar to that of the very underrated 'State Of Grace'.

“ Pointless nihilistic bullshit .

“ The vast majority of their conversations with each other in respect to the case are so obviously contrived that it's almost like they're reading cue cards, and I happen to know that they are each better actors than to do something like that.

“but SLOW?

“ It is absorbing with out being intellectual, intense with out being complicated, moving with out being sentimental, visceral with out being violent.

“ Likewise, other films have dealt with child abuse more thoroughly than Mystic River: Sleepers, for example, is quite evidently a film of two halves: First come the pathos-driven scenes of cruelty and torture and then the predictable score-settling.

“I can honestly say that "Mystic River" is one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life.

“ I left the theater yesterday and thought "THIS STINKS".

“An equally compelling performance is delivered by Tim Robbins, who plays Dave Boyle, one of Jimmy Markum's childhood friends and potential suspect in the murder.

“ Hayden, Robbins wife is utterly confusing.

“ The whole scene where Jimmy's wife is telling him it's all okay and even encouraging him really seems over the top and unexpected since she had virtually no role in the movie up until then.

“the story was very intriguing ...

“ I do give credit to the movie in that it is quite suspenseful, intriguing, and by and large well-acted.

“ In all it was enjoyable for give or take 60 minutes.

“ It's dark, slow-moving, and graphic.

“ As you follow the story the suspense builds and at the end, you realize there is no conclusion only tragedy, confusion and it seems the movie is about to start again.

“If there is one fault however, it is the pacing of the movie, which at one point, gets very, very slow.

“While this same plot if directed properly could have ended up as a fabulous movie with elements of irony and dark humor, Clint Eastwood fails to capture anything but disgusting acts of pointless violence.

“ Sean Penn gives one of the best of the decade in his intense and emotional portrayal of Markum.

“The ending was becoming more and more predictable as time lingered on.

“ This film is larded with poorly framed scenes, bad lighting, very pedestrian angles, color-strained, as well as bad performances, a horridly unrealistic script, banal music, and too many red herrings .

“ An Intriguing Mystery Thriller With Mostly Good Performances .

“ Yes, this movie is too long and could certainly benefit by being further edited down to 90 or 100 minutes.

“ This is one of the most dreadful, pretentious movies I have ever seen.

“ This ultimately severely lessens the impact of the drama as Eastwood tries unsuccessfully to solve the crime and heighten the tragedy simultaneously-so much effort when just allowing the audience to see the characters and the action for who and what they are would've been much more compelling, allowing the audience to compose the tragedy for themselves and engage in it fully as an inevitability as opposed to some surprise plot twist.

“ Three Friends On The Edge Of Society .

“ It's hard to believe I sat through two hours of Eastwood's propaganda.

“ Compelling, but boring.. .

“ definitely worth watching though....

“ The long road this film takes to tell this compelling story is whats important.

“ When tragedy strikes again, their lives are gradually brought back together on a collision course that leads to some unexpected results.

“ We then have a drawn out section of the film where nothing happens for about half an hour other than Sean Penn brooding.

“ Robbins gives the stronger performance, but it's so good it's boring.

“ Penn, Robbins, Bacon, Harden and Linney all manage to reach the very cores of their characters and the result is a genuinely stunning array of performances.

“ Mystic River makes for incredibly intense & uncomfortable viewing.

“ Sean Penn is stunning; one of the most vivid portrayals of grief on celluloid in recent memory.

“ Contrary to the opinions of some other viewers, I found Mystic River an absolutely riveting film.

“ I'm sure that, by now, some of your friends have hyped Mystic River to Boston and back, gushing about how wonderful and thrilling and exciting this movie is.

“even though at times, admittedly, the film's somewhat dreary, schmaltzy tone could get a little manipulative; thankfully, such is a very, VERY minor complaint in a sea of praise for this amazing piece.

“ Confidential") wrote the compelling screenplay from the novel by Dennis Lehane.

“ The movie is very gripping, and keeps always the feelings focused and this makes the movie very emotionelly correct for the characters situation.

“" Eastwood lets this film go on way too long.

“ The cinematography is very insipid, and there are a few aerial shots which seem contrived and unnecessary.

“ It's contrived that he's a murder investigator and that he has a missing wife with a child and at the ending they just appear again like a fairy tale.

“ But if you found Unforgiven a bit tiresome, you'll find this one worse.

“ And Penn and Robbins deliver spectacularly in their awkward, suspenseful, misinterpreted, fateful scenes together that shape the entirety of the film and the relationships of the characters in it.

“ Absorbing tale of three boyhood friends, torn apart by a traumatic childhood incident, who are reunited as adults when one of them loses his teenage daughter to a brutal murder.

“ An empty stomach after after watching a river going nowhere for 2 hours and 15 minutes.

“ I really wanted to like this film, but the truth is I found it tedious and overwrought.

“I'm going to recommend against watching this movie, even though I rate it `worth watching' at the end.

“Most importantly for me, the movie was very engaging and rewarding.

“ Because this stuff, all metaphysics and epic aside, is as boring as s***.

“ MYSTIC RIVER is entertaining because it keeps you wondering through out the picture who did the murder and why.

“ Boring & Complicated Stage Drama !!.

“ The beginning wasn't so bad (some good menacing acting by the person playing that cursed pedophile Harry or George), but it dragged like heck.

“ The cinematography was dull.

“ Both a haunting study of men on the edge, and a clever murder mystery, this marks Clint Eastwood's greatest latter-day film ("The Outlaw Josey Wales" stands in a much different place.

“the acting is ok, but overdone in places and the end is kinda predictable.

“And I apologize to any Eastwood devotees out there, but is anyone else getting tired of his plodding, paceless films besides me?

“ No surprises, all predictable.

“Eastwood's direction is stylish and absorbing,another film of his from the legendary Malpaso company,who produced that unforgettable hit of his so many years ago.

“ Starting with the sexual abuse of an innocent child, which strengthens the old cliché, "only the strong shall survive".

“ Robbins was excellent, Penn overacted and the story was contrived.

“All in all a waste of time.

“ Though Kevin Bacon's performance as Sean, the less showy of the lead characters, is simply stunning.

“ For my money, Clint Eastwood's crowning achievement as a director, MYSTIC RIVER is his breathtaking and powerful film adaption of the equally powerful novel by Dennis Lehane that examines lost youth and other kinds of loss that sweep their way through a small Massachusetts town where everyone knows everyone.

“ However, I found the film somewhat disjointed.

“ *** Spoilers *** *** Spoilers *** *** Spoilers *** *** Spoilers *** Based on a crime novel of the same name by Dennis Lehne,this movie is entertaining and moving crime drama.

“ This is a very compelling, realistic movie that is very engrossing.

“ As compelling as the characters are, there are none who are sympathetic and the film is relentlessly grim as it marches towards its unsatisfying conclusion (nearly 3 long hours after the relentlessly grim beginning).

“ ***contains spoilers*** Okay you watch a film, there ares one confusing bits in it, some scenes don't make sense, thats understandable, because in a self proclaimed 'mysery' film you expect everything to be explained in the end.

“The premise is simple: three estranged friends who shared a traumatic experience as boys are brought together in unexpected ways by a murder in the old neighbourhood.

“ The movie is emotionally homogenous from beginning to end: unrelentingly heavy-handed and overwraught, so self-pleasingly dripping with the grit of the human condition that by the end, that grit feels tired and contrived.

“ The movie also dragged a lot.

“  Then there is the movie's somewhat confusing explanation given by Sean to Jimmy.

“ However, it appears that either the author of the book or the screenwriter was so pleased with his work, that he didn't want to see it end; because there are two totally superfluous scenes which not only add nothing to the story, but they also effect an unbelievable, depressing, and unexpected "morality shift" in two of the major characters.

“ I found the movie to be slow paced.

“ When it ended I had to go be with friends cuase it left a big empty spot in me.

“ Bacon and Fishburne both do good subtle work with trite "cop buddy movie" dialogue.

“ "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was such a fascinating, insidious and evilly fun little story...

“ I found the whole story engrossing, disturbing, and incredibly thought-provoking, long after I left the theatre.

“ The greatest special fx to me is the story and this story is so convoluted, so built to give each actor one great scene, that I was tired, and drained and well predictably bored.

“In fact it rather seemed boring at parts.

“ The story is wonderful and compelling, the camera work is fantastic, and the whole film is a winner.

“ The story material overflows with potential, but Eastwood delivers a dull, poorly constructed and marginally acted movie that completely failed to draw me in, despite the fact that I was ready to love it, based on the rave reviews I've read.

“ The movie was pretty predictable.

“ The only fun in this plodding production is trying to figure out who gives the worst performance.

“ ~ This movie is when you want to watch something deep and unpredictable and dark.

“ His direction is plodding and impassive.

“ When we are children we have the impression that life is more intense.

“ Secondly, the confusing abduction is of a sexual nature; later, when the story temporarily becomes an intriguing drama, this is clarified.

“ Lawrence Fishburne was engagingly real, and the Chapman & Nelson duo as the Savage Brothers was riveting.

“ Unfortunately, that end is somewhat confusing, and left me feeling unfulfilled.

“ It's one of those movies that keep you on the edge of your seat, just waiting to find out what happens next, itching with anticipation.

“ Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

“ When his wife died of illness, Jimmy re-married, to Celeste's sister Annabeth, who bore him two more girls, in addition to lovely Katie from his first wife.

“ It builds confusion and uncertainty within you, which is what I liked about it.

“ I was bored.

“ A very effective, intense drama of tragedy.

“ He has to lugubriously draw your attention to the most mundane details just to make sure the audience doesn't miss anything.

“ Kudos to the cast, remarkable performances by Penn, Robbins (almost unrecognizable) and Harden, and to the drab realism created by Clint Eastwood.

“ The communion against the murder (come on, we've seen this before in the greatest movie of all time -- talk about cliche).

“ Tragic yet enjoyable .

“ Complete waste of time, and it came after the natural end to the movie had come and gone.

“ This film is so intensely boring and nonsensical I would suggest that you poke yourself in the eye for the best part of 140 minutes instead of watching it!

“The anguish worn by most of the lead characters also seems contrived, manipulating the audience into thinking they're watching something meaningful.

“ And those that think the film is too long or too slow or whatever, to you I would like to say: - Just lean back in your chair and enjoy the brilliant acting of the grand trio Penn/Bacon/Robbins.

“Yes the cinematography has been well executed; most of the scenes have a dull grey dreariness about them and we can understand why some might want to escape this existence.

“ It's a riveting film that engages you and then smothers you with its power.

“ All facts related to its' end are completely predictable.

“ Heartbreaking and full of stunning performances.

“ An intense & thought provoking entertainer.

“ However, for most of the film, the story is absorbing and believable, the acting is superlative, and the personalities and motivations of the major characters are well developed.

“ Everyone else hams it up big time, and the story is weak and pointless.

“ I gave this movie 8 stars because it took me by surprise and I left the theater wondering how the hell Clint Eastwood pulled it off.

“ Oh What Dreary Lives .

“ The first hour or so was brutally slow; and once the film actually gets moving, it leads absolutely nowhere!

“ This movie is riveting, and Clint Eastwood did very well making it.

“ I mean, it dragged on _forever_.

“Also, I found the plot rather predictable...

“ But most of the time when he adapts books that he claims to love into movies, I'm alternating between boredom and disbelief.

“ But then all Clint's movies are like this - too slow, too long, too predictable, too dull.

“ Based on an equally gripping book, "Mystic River" is a compelling story told in a compelling manner.

“ The storyline, camera shots, acting, and overall direction of the movie contribute to its suspense, making it rather thrilling.

“ It is literally pointless.

“ This is a great emotional drama, topped off with an exciting criminal mystery that keeps you guessing the final outcome of the movie for the entire time.

“ The movie was also free of plotholes, something I was grateful for, given that mystery movies are normally a little confusing.

“The ending is unpredictable,well scripted and powerfully raw.

“ Twists and turns and changing plot lines makes this story brilliantly unpredictable.

“I bet the book is much more entertaining and rewarding.

“ The rest of the cast were so bland they faded from memory quickly.

“ But the film is worth watching.

“ The film continues past several scenes that would have made stunning endings.

“ A fine story and stunning performances .

“ But with a runtime of well over two hours, and all that tedious detail, the film's theme tends to get lost in the meandering and unnecessarily complex plot.

“ This movie was beyond dull.

“ Tim, Sean, and Kevin are three of the best actors around, and their performance was riveting.

“ It's worth watching.

“ A mixed bag by Eastwood, but undeniably compelling.

“There were a lot of confusing parts in this movie.

“ He has rid his technique of any breath of staginess or window dressing while absorbing all the straightforwardness and power that the Method's brought into American movies.

“ It is too predictable...

“ I felt every moment of Celeste's confusion, dread & guilt.

“But it was a mostly dragged out movie with a very good last half hour.

“ Nihilist propaganda .

“ A would-have-been stunning piece of film-making was completely destroyed by the ending.

“Like I have stated the only fun in this plodding production is trying to figure out who gives the most over the top performance.

“ In addition to that, there were stunning performances by Kevin Bacon, Laurence Fishburne, Marcia Gay Harden and Tom Guiry.

“ Eastwood seems to always go for the intense facial shots and never allow a moment to relax and prepare for the tension to come - it certainly wasn't the movie to take popcorn into!

“ So as the movie crossed after half and hour it was being nice and being thrilling, you know.

“ This movie has all the hall marks of a dreadful viewing experience, unnecessarily long, ridiculous scenarios that make little sense, pointless scenes where nothing happens, stupid dialog that is cringe worthy and amateurish.

“ But something about the effect of the performances made me feel completely immersed in it, and by the end I was trembling.

“Of course in the end one could accept many of these flaws as simply a story based on realism: life is full of subtle complications, there is no black and white, coincidences do occur and even murder can be boring.

“ Very intense, amazing twists.

“ Sub-plots and minor characters were pointless and distracting.

“ Just watched this movie with three other people, and after watching the draggy, cliché-laden first 30 minutes, we checked online and were shocked to see generally positive reviews.

“ This movie is so replete with trite expressions and affected acting that the *thinking* audience is constantly jarred out of the movie-going experience.

“ Eastwood's Directorial Masterpiece that Vividly Brings to Life the Riveting Book it was based on...

“ Robbins' breakdown is slow and skilfully played while Penn's despair is graphically and intensely studied.

“(spoilers below) I liked the slower pacing of the film as it seemed necessary to properly develop all of the main characters.

“The reason why the movie doesn't have a higher rating then 9 or a 10 is because of the last 10-15 minutes of the movie, it dragged on for too long and kind of ruined it.

“ Disappointingly tedious .

“ Overall, a tedious film and certainly not the "masterpiece" many claim it to be.

“ Moving, Disturbing, Riveting .

“ Well acted, but predictable.

“ I found the plot utterly predictable, I could guess ever twist and turn way before it even happened.

“ Unfortunately, this seems to be a fairly risk free of winning critical acclaim nowadays, as witness the fawning attention paid upon the laughably silly American Beauty or ponderously dull Road to Perdition.

“ All else about this film is first rate, gripping and worth watching more than once.

“ Second: the perfect development of investigations you can feel involved in which, thanks above all to actors' skills, very exciting in each situation, wisely interlaced without carelessness.

“ You see the trailer or commercial and you can tell it's a serious, compelling drama and that's what it is.

“The problem I had with this movie it lags way too long.

“ It was excessively long and very boring.

“ I felt that the movie was a gripping drama for two hours and then it went on for the last fifteen more minutes which pretty much ruined it for me.

“ A good detective story, well acted and gripping.

“ The story is fairly disjointed and virtually lacking in suspense.

“ Mystic River starts with a gripping and dramatic scene, and this tone persists throughout most of the film.

“ The film is dull and predictable, and the acting is forgettable- certainly not indelible.

“ The plot is twisted and implausible to the point where the movie becomes boring and disappointing.

“ The screenplay is very gripping, setting and atmosphere well chosen.

“ Not only were lines written and performances given (seemilngly) with Oscar in mind, it was way too long!

“ This screenplay develops lots of intersting themes: the transmission of evil through the links of blood and friendship, the way violence and the desire for revenge is reproducing eternally, the observation of small towns, their rumours, their boredom.

“ From a subtle screenplay written by Brian Helgeland who shows that he is a far better scriptwriter than director (as far as I'm concerned, I hated the rather insipid "A Knight's Tale" 2001), Eastwood develops an absorbing and ingenious directing which contributes in weaving a shady and even stifling by moments atmosphere.

“ Fine, troubling, complex movie that continues to work long after one has left the theater.

“ The previews make it clear that Penn's daughter is murdered, but after that, nothing happens plot wise.

“ The plot is predictable, the dialog is boring, and the soundtrack is overbearing.

“ In addition to all the above, the final 10 minutes or so were completely pointless.

“ Millions of viewers have had their egos kept in place by the tingling emotional outbursts, their prides being carried along until they finally reach surface with that thrilling -offly mundane- revelation, the moment of truth!

“ What he has done here is that he has written a character-centric drama with flat, uninteresting characters, and the film simply does not work as a result.

“ The most engaging, and, at the same time estranging aspect of Mystic River is (SPOILER ALERT!!

“ On the edge of precipice he tries to win phantom of his own tragedy.

“ The last scene, when they're all at the parade, and you see celeste searching for her husband, and Sean Penn and laura linney's characters carrying on like nothing happened wasn't believable at all6.

“ It just made the scene much more intense IMO.

“ Set mostly in an Irish neighborhood, Eastwood effectively creates a moody, suspenseful atmosphere when the two men delude the gullible boys.

“Beyond the cliché heavy script, the camera work was dull, and there was nothing much to move this beyond a two-dimensional cautionary tale, supposedly about redemption.

“) There are numerous aspects about 'Mystic River' to cherish, so if you don't mind a bit of a downer, 'Mystic River' will take you on a wonderful and genuinely thrilling ride.

“ The violence went on too long in several scenes, with the death of Dave being the most unbearable for length.

“ The ending is terribly weak, predictable, bad and laughable.

“ At least it's a fairly entertaining modern-day Western with at least a few strong performances and real meaning behind it, if it does kind of preach a bit too much and possess too many boring characters.

“However, with the long, drawn-out, ant-climatic, and even dishonest ending; my assessment of the film crashed from "outstanding" to "mediocre".

“ Also, for those other Eastwood fans out there, a familar face makes a unexpected yet highly enjoyable cameo appearance.

“ Disappointing, predictable and unfair .

“ and unbelievable murderThat said I certainly enjoyed this cinematic experience and found the originality of the story and setting most appealing, and the characters engaging 7/10 !!!

“ I knew, having read about 100 pages of the dreary (in the sense of sadness) novel that this would not be pleasant.

“ What a slow, painful way to spend 2 1/4 hours.

“ Sean Penn who in my estimation is an over rated actor,does a good job with this, probably because he didn't have to far to go, he just plays some grumpy guy, kind of like what Harrison Ford does, but everyone else seems bored, and when I saw this in the theater the audience barely applauded when it was over.

“ I found the story confusing and utterly unbelievable.

“Boring, dragging pointless scenes and ending.

“ What he has done here is that he not only took the time to develop a very involving and emotional film about childhood trauma and how it can truly screw up a person's life, but has also made a very engaging murder mystery with a lot of horror, suspense, and great dialogue.

“ And Fishburne is maybe the most enjoyable part of the film.

“ For the rest of you, don't waste your time with this pretentious claptrap.

“ Clint Eastwood has done a masterful job as director in creating moments of intense drama, tension and emotion throughout this film.

“ The resolution of the investigation was rushed, and then the movie kept going; the second ending was very slow, and jarring.

“ With a phenomenal cast that deserved every award nomination and win they earned, Mystic River is a film that actually grew on me more in the days after I saw it than when I initially left the theater.

“ The ending is downbeat and un-Hollywood-esque, so it's not your standard fare drama with the happy ending, but by the same token, it leaves feeling you empty and wondering what was the moral of the story.

“ Whatever was but as me this is very boring movie despite good acting by leading actors.

“ This movie is a very intense dark drama, and suspense.

“Mystic River may not be the "worst" movie I've seen all year, but it certainly is the most dull, dreary and disappointing (I give it a generous C-, in case you haven't guessed).

“ flat, boring, nothing!

“ The stellar cast, workmanlike production and compelling story combine to produce what is arguably the best movie of 2003.

“ Alomost the worst movie of the year.

“ This film had such an amazing lineup of actors but it was pretentious and out of touch.

“ This film depicts the unexpected consequences of redemption, regret and all the deeply-rooted feelings of the human mind.

“ There is a gripping realism and authenticity delivered by all the cast members.

“ Their performances are so gripping, and deal with such difficult characters, 3-dimensionally, that it would be hard to disagree with the Academy's choice.

“As for the mystery of the murder of Jimmy's daughter, the investigation is imaginative and suspenseful and, as for every good mystery story, the revelation of the guilty is surprising.

“ As for the story itself, it's something of a mixed bag, with intense, gut-wrenching scenes mixed with way too many coincidences and subplots that feel tacked on, such as the one about Kevin Bacon's relationship with his wife.

“ For me, the story just went too long, was way too drawn out and had nothing to surprise.

“ Very Shakespearean and pointless character turns were made towards the endof the movie.

“ There is an unexpected (to me, at least--I try to watch films the first time knowing as little about them as possible) mystery angle that is effectively sustained until almost the end.

“This was a waste of my money.

“ The moment is held far too long.

“ The plot is intriguing and we wonder what really has happened.

“ The movie did pick up a bit, but overall was a complete waste of time.

“Directing is typical slow Eastwood style.

“The acting and the intensity of the drama make up for the gloomy banality of the location.

“ What makes this movie so great, is the fact that Lehane and Eastwood could take a real story and still put a chilling twist and an entertaining plot to it.

“One of the cavils I have with this beauty of a movie is that it's slow in its revelations.

“ Entertaining Drama/Thriller...

“ They lose a ball down a drain and get bored.

“ This movie is excellently paced and everything in the movie (setting, characters, music, cinematography) goes along to the support the dark and dreary mood and it is becuase of this that the movie is so successful into drawing you in.

“ It's a good one, but impersonations are ridiculous (and pointless) in themselves.